The present invention relates to pick-up devices and in particular to an implement and/or method to be used in the removal of an object or material from a surface. In one form, the invention may be utilized especially as an aid in the removal of pet waste material, and while this form of the device is specifically described below, it is to be understood that the invention is not be be limited to such use. For example, the invention may be put to related uses such as the removal of sand piles, garbage or other waste from city streets, or may even be used under water or in some cases, for measuring metered quantities of material.
Pet waste is now considered to be an environmental problem of major proportions. As a result, many communities have been enacting regulations requiring pet owners to dispose of solid waste material deposited by their pets on public streets and parks.
Accordingly, a variety of scoops, scrapers, pans and related receptacles or containers have been provided for effecting removal and subsequent disposal of solid pet waste. One of the more frequently employed varieties of such prior receptacles consists of a two-piece hinged or jaw-like waste enclosure having an elongated handle with which to manipulate the enclosure to pivot between open and closed positions in picking up waste material deposited on the ground. However, this type of receptacle is relatively expensive and somewhat awkward to carry around, thereby increasing the burden on the pet owner of the obligation to clean up after the pet.
Another known type of waste removal aid consists of a disposable pan into which pet waste is pushed or shoveled. The pan is formed from a folded blank into an open ended box having a flat shovel-like extension at the open end onto which the waste material can be pushed. Disposable pans of this type however, while convenient in many respects, have suffered from the disadvantage of requiring the pet owner to carry a separate shovel or pusher implement with which to scrape or push the waste material off of the street and into the pan.
These and other disadvantages of the previously known waste removal implements are obviated by the present invention which in its most basic form consists of a pusher or scraper tray having at least one upstanding sidewall. The tray is slidably arranged within an open ended box-like surrounding sleeve so as to be movable between an open or extended position for inverted placement over the waste material and a retracted or closed position for retaining or sealing the material within the sleeve. The waste material is scraped off of the street or other surface and into the sleeve during movement of the tray from its extended to its closed position within the sleeve.
For pet waste removal, the device may be made from lightweight paperboard or similar materials, including plastic, and can be provided to the consumer in blank form ready for assembly by making a series of simple folds. In at least one embodiment, glue, tape or other binding materials are not required for assembly and, in any event, the user need not carry handles and separate pusher or shover implements which may be awkward to carry both before and after use or difficult to conceal or to package for disposal. Moreover, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, the assembled device may be collapsed or folded into a substantially flat package to facilitate ease of handling or carriage prior to use. The present device is simple, convenient and sanitary and offers substantial advantages over the waste removal aids previously available.
Where other uses are contemplated such as in large-scale pick of objects or material or even under water, the device may be made of steel, aluminum or other suitably rigid and durable materials.